Onside Kick Drills

There are plays that are absolute momentum shifters in a football game. A clutch interception, a huge pass play on 3rd and 15, sometimes even a coffin corner punt. But the biggest momentum shifter of them all? An onside kick. That element of surprise or a simple recovery by the kicking team to get another drive can change the entire momentum in the football game, or even a season. Today, we’ll demonstrate some different techniques and drills to perfect onside kicks.

The Slip N Slide

Dino Babers of Syracuse loves to run this drill. The drill focuses on sprinting and sliding to the ball right after it is kicked. The key for the runner doing the drill is to grab the ball within a certain area, mimicking the importance of quick awareness on an onside kick.

The Fake Onside

Yep, you have to practice this one too. Executing a fake onside kick can do even more damage than the onside kick itself, as you could pin a team deep, or better yet, catch a receiving team unprepared and possibly recover it deep on their side of the field. The key with a fake onside kick is to make sure the ball has plenty of time in the air, to prevent the receiver from getting any traction on a run.

Conversely, check out this fake kickoff turned no-look onside kick.

Innovation in the Onside Kick

Coach Kevin Kelley, known throughout football as the coach who never punts, is also quite the innovator when it comes to onside kicks. Below, he discusses his strategy for onside kicks.

If You Run Out Of Ideas, Try This Kick!

There are plenty of ways to try an onside kick. When you’re facing a state champion, you have to be creative, like Hebron was against Allen. Don’t worry, it’s a legal kick!